


Fear all else but never me. Please.

by Webtrinsic



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 22:55:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14482992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: May's new boyfriend proves himself to be a grade A-asshole when he decides to abuse Peter. And that doesn't sit well with Tony at all.





	Fear all else but never me. Please.

**Author's Note:**

> GUYS INFINITY WAR KILLED ME SO EXPECT A LONG FIX IT FIC BECAUSE YEAHHHHH

He hadn't been thrilled when he found out that May had begun dating someone and not because he didn't want her with someone! He really did want her to be happy, but to him, Ben's death had been too recent, perhaps it was because he'd witnessed it.

Or maybe it was because of his spider-sense. It was tickling the back of his neck as he met Garrett Lakeson, a Doctor. He was a Neonatologist, which May quickly explained as he looked for possible problems in newborns and infants.

But something told Peter this man shouldn't be left alone with kids, let alone babies. Then again the man looked trustworthy enough, maybe he was just being overly cautious.

Dr. Lakeson had curled black hair and large open and honest cobalt blue eyes. He was Tony's height, so a head taller than himself and May. He dressed nicely, dress pants and dress shirts were probably the only things in the man's closet beside the really expensive workout outfits he had seen him in.

He started coming over enough that May had no problem with leaving them alone together. Peter hadn’t expected it. He hadn't expected to be hit or to be told off for being in the way in his own home. Or to be forced back into his room where he was to stay for the rest of the night, unable to crawl out of the window for fear of the man checking in on him. There wouldn't be any possible way of explaining how he got out through the window, it would just end up looking suspicious.

It only got worse from there, there were now his new rules he had to follow:

  1. **Come straight back to the apartment.**
  2. **Stay in your room unless it’s an emergency.**
  3. **No using your phone unless you're at school.**
  4. **Don’t speak out of turn.**
  5. **No passwords or passcodes on any electronics.**



These rules really only applied when only he was around. Peter knew Dr. Lakeson wasn't ordering around May in the way he was to Peter. And she was happy, so even though he felt like a prisoner in his own home... How could he take that away from her?

\---

Walking out of the school's steps Peter’s friend Ned ranted at him with questions.

"Why haven't you been out lately? You seem quieter than normal. Why don't you ever answer my texts anymore?"

"I'm just bummed my phone broke," He lied, awaiting the sight of Garrett's dreaded car that is until the sight of a familiar Audi drew his attention, parked right in back of Garrett's sickening Range Rover.

Peter didn't know what to do or where to go, but the decision was out of his hands when Tony stepped out the car. Peter approached wearily, standing in front of him shyly, unable to lift his eyes to his mentor’s.

"Hey kid, long time no see," Tony smiled, lifting an eyebrow at Peter's strange demeanor. That's when Garrett decided to get out of the car. ‘Sorry’ fell from Peter's lips as he explained that May's boyfriend had come to pick him up. The man walked over.

"Garrett," The doctor introduced prepared to shake the billionaire's hand, but Tony waved his hand away before placing it on his ‘intern’s’ shoulder. Tony's attention diverted to this strange man who reminded him of ‘Doctor Dreamy’ from Grey's anatomy. As he shifted his grip, he felt the boy flinch. He dismissed the odd reaction as a fluke

"Tony,” the billionaire replied, “But of course you already knew that. Sorry for wasting your time, Just so you know, Peter's my intern so I tend to pick him up whenever I feel like it," Tony explained, lazily waving his hand. Peter nodded, affirming his position.

"It's not a problem at all," Garrett charmed, and Tony simply nodded and ushered Peter into the car where Peter sat down compliantly albeit shakily. He hadn't felt any relief from Garrett in weeks and Tony had been out on trips lately.

"You didn't tell me May got a boyfriend," Tony teased, sensing the boy’s discomfort.

"Oh...my phone broke, sorry," He explained. But in reality, it was simply in his bag, locked by one of the parental locks.

"I did just finish a brand new Stark phone, I won't be airing them until next year but we can set yours up when we get to the compound," Tony supplied, already having had planned the upgrades in his head. He'd outfit it a little more. A custom case so that no matter how high the boy went it wouldn't break if it fell.

Of course, it was fully waterproof with a battery life that could last a week. Karen would be installed, he didn't like to keep them apart. Every time he checked in with Karen she'd complain she didn't get to talk with Peter enough.

What broke him from these thoughts was the bizarre silence that basked in the car. The only thing that Peter had said the entire trip was an oddly quiet and small 'thank you'. Tony knew this wasn't normal for the boy.

"If you have your suit on you we can make some adjustments to that too," Tony continued, hoping that'd draw Peter out of whatever funk he was in.

"No, it's at home. But the phone thing sounds cool," Peter apologized seemingly finally acknowledging the other man’s conversation.

Tony hummed in approval, continuing on through traffic until they reached the compound. Peter followed him throughout the compound like a lost puppy, smiling at Rhodey when the passed. Peter was shocked out of the normality of it all when the man placed a hand on his back. He flinched shutting his eyes tightly.

Tony hadn't seemed to notice it, while he was pressing the elevator button but Rhodey had. The other man simply rubbed the boy's back a little noticing his tenseness. The action had calmed him but only just a little.

\---

Peter smiled as he inspected his new phone. He was excited to talk with Karen; it has been so long.

"I missed you!" She giggled excitedly. Tony hadn't seen his mentee smile that wide since the Iron-Spider suit had been revealed to him.

"I missed you too," Peter laughed, slipping on the red case adorned with black webs, his emblem in the center. That wasn't' the only case Tony had made, there was, of course, an Iron-Man on too. And normal cases of every primary color including black and white.

"Thank you," He breathed, and if Tony wasn't mistaken, he could have sworn that the boy was wiping away tears from grateful eyes.

"It's nothing kid," Tony assured before checking the time. It had gotten late. It would be eleven by the time he even got the boy home. But Tony knew he couldn't let the kid stay either, if he wanted to make it to school on time.

The billionaire always hated to see the time end, but this time had been different. Something made him hesitate. Peter was usually aware, smiley, and well comfortable with his favorite philanthropist. But today he was distant, quiet and fidgety. It wasn’t normal, well apart from the fidgitty part. But this was a different kind of fidgety.

The spider boy had been weirdly weary. Tony had been keeping him in the corner of his eye and noticed the tension rippling through the usually nimble boy. He was unnerved as he saw him gripping the table just a little bit harder than usual when he'd simply walked by or handed him items. 

Peter hadn't been this weary of him since their first meeting and after the boat and well when he'd asked him to be an Avenger. But he was sure Peter had never been this fearful during their interactions.

"It's getting a little late buddy, why don't we get you home?"

Peter blanched and then nodded, shifting a little when he and Tony headed for the door. He moved behind the man because it made him nervous being in front. 

The ride home was once again silent and Tony quirked a brow when Peter stuffed the phone in his pantline, hiding it with his shirt. Then again he didn't see any pockets.

When the two parted that night, there was a lot Tony didn't see.  He didn’t see the handprints on Peter’s neck because he'd regretted to inform Garrett that he worked with the one and only Tony Stark.

Peter cried himself to sleep.

\---

Wearing his fluffier jacket, Peter quickly inspected himself in the bathroom mirror to see if the bruises had disappeared. Luckily they had, and Tony was waiting for him out front of the school. Using his old phone, he let Garrett know that Tony was picking him up. And Garrett stressed he needed to be home at eight, nine at the latest. 

\---

If Peter had been weary yesterday, he was downright skittish today, jumping at the smallest of shadows, and keeping a close eye on any male figure. Pepper had said hello and everyone immediately noticed how Peter had relaxed in her presence.

Rhodey frowned as a terrifying explanation arose for Peter’s odd behavior. However, he couldn't be sure until the boy actually left. 

They all ended up watching Airplane, only Pepper and Rhodey had seen it. Pepper covered the boy's eyes when there was a topless scene, and continued to hold him. They all saw how Pepper kept herself close and available to the teenager, shielding him even when Tony's arm was around her.

Pepper could tell that Peter felt more comfortable in the presence of a female, so she acted accordingly. Tony couldn’t thank her enough for it. But to Pepper, thank you was enough. Peter helped her fiance in so many ways, in a way he became a son to him. He gave the man a reason to get out of bed. He gave the man something to could take care of, to love. And if this is how she could thank the boy, she would.

Peter left that night with his leg shaking. He had been staring at the clock as nine approached. Pepper had decided she'd be the one escorting him home. Secretly she was hoping that he'd tell her if what was wrong.

He didn't, and the two parted with only a few words said.

"Goodnight Mrs. Potts,"

"Goodnight Peter,"

Checking his watch, he'd been only a few minutes too late.

\---

May was having a girls night meaning she wouldn't be in until the next morning. Therefore, she didn't see when Peter walked to the door only to be roughly hauled into the house the second he'd turned his key and reached for the knob.

\---

Pepper walked in and shook her head at the two, silently letting them know Peter hadn't told her a thing.

"Tones?" Rhodey questioned and they both looked to the colonel.

"You still have a drone hooked up to his suit?"

"Of course, why?" Tony asked confused.

"He wasn't afraid of men until May got a boyfriend, wasn't he?" Rhodey questioned, although it seemed more like a statement. The couple stared horrified at the implications, as what he said dawned upon them.

Tony rushed to the lab to activate the spider drone, in response, all the way across the boroughs in Queens, the bot jumped from the chest of the suit happily. It crawled out from the latch in the ceiling where the suit was hidden and out of Peter's room, crawling along the ceiling until it found Peter. He was pressed against the door as Garret screamed, the man's hands were pressed on either side of the teen, trapping him. Peter's head was down, brown hair fell into his face as he attempted to keep his eye’s from meeting his attacker’s.

"I told you when you had to be home, and you were late. I already told you, you didn't want to be late," The bastard threw the old 'broken' phone down so it shattered.

"If you're so fucking smart, why can't you ever listen?" He shouted, slapping Peter hard enough that Tony flinched as he watched from afar. Peter fell against the door to the floor. He automatically curled into a tight ball while covering his head.

Garrett grumbled, landing a kick before dragging Peter to his bedroom and locking him inside.

"I don't want to hear a peep from you for the rest of the night," Garrett yelled through the door, and Tony growled. His suit was already melding across his skin before he shot out of the open ceiling. 

The drone's display stayed in his view, it crawled under Peter's door to find him on his bed. He wasn’t  crying, instead, he was simply sitting there, his eyes unseeing and glassy as he rocked himself. His cheek was pink, small reddish marks were appearing in place of the man's hand.

Tony arrived within minutes, the suit retracting to cover his hand only as he banged on the door. It didn't take more than a few seconds for Garrett to open it.

Startled at Tony's appearance, he stepped in.

"May's out tonight, huh? Good time to put your hands on my kid!" The man of Iron snarled animalistically.

Before Garrett could respond Tony was barking again, "That is a fucking child you put your dirty hands on, and you hurt him! Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve done!? That is my child! And nothing, nothing, should ever and I mean ever! Make him afraid of me! Do you understand me!?"

Garett cowered much like Peter had. It acted as fuel to Tony’s raging fire, until Peter stepped out.

"Go outside," Tony ordered the boy trying not to sound angry but it still came off a little strong. Peter obeyed nonetheless and scurried out. FRIDAY had Pepper on route, but Tony wasn't leaving yet. He cornered the man, slicking his own hair back, his eyes remaining wild. He took a deep breathe and spoke in a chillingly calm tone.

"Know what we're going to do? We're gonna call May, we're going to call your boss, and we're going to call the cops. And you're going to tell them that you put your hands on a fifteen-year-old child," Tony grinned like a madman at the fear in the man's eyes. The man could practically see his career crumble, the warrant for his arrest and finally the utter rage of a woman he loved.

Everything had been taken from him in those three phone calls, his love life, his job, and most importantly his freedom. Tony had never felt more accomplished as he witnessed the bastard being taken away but not before he'd punched the man in the face with his armored fist for good measure.

May was on the way back and Tony headed down the stairs outside, finding Pepper in the backseat holding onto the teen. The kid rocking like a wooden rocking horse as she rubbed his arms in assurance.

Tony decidedly stayed outside the car, watching as they took Garrett away. Waiting for May, wishing they'd stay just a little while longer so he could see May kick the shit out of bastard like she promised.

She got there ten minutes later if she had been tipsy earlier that night she was fine now.

"Where is that bastard?" She shouted, slamming her car shut before going off in Italian. Tony nodded agreeing with the nasty and violent things she said, wishing to do a few of those things himself.

Her eyes turned to him looking for an answer to her questions.

"The police just took him," He explained before motioning to the car before she could ask where her nephew was. Her heels clicked as she ran over. Pepper moved to accommodate her.

The Parkers clung to one another in a desperate attempt to stay together and to protect one another from the monster that'd hurt the little family unit.

"You did a good thing," Pepper told her fiance, and Tony just breathed the cool night air.

"I should have killed the bastard," He grumbled and Pepper shook her head as if it was another one of his antics, before becoming serious and looking up at him.

"Don't give him a reason to be afraid of you too," And that's all it took for Tony's rage to fall away for the night. No, he'd rather be dead than have Peter fear anything else.

No matter how long it took, Tony would make sure Peter didn't have to fear another man ever again.

  
  



End file.
